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(No Model.)

H. GQPRATT. WIRE DISTRIBUTER FOR WIRE FENCES. No. 479,571. Patented July 26, 1892.

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H E 7L 7L "v v z f@- W? www UNITED STATES HENRY C. PRA/TT, OIT CANANDAIGUA PATENT OFFICE.

NEV YORK.

WIRE-DISTRIBUTER FOR WIRE FENCES.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters 'Patent N0. 479,571, dated July 26, 1892.

Application filed llovember 12, 11891- Serial No. 411,717. (llo model.)

To all whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, HENRY C. PRATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Canandaigua, in the county of Ontario and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVire-Distributers for Vire Fences; and I do hereby declare the following to bea full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in wiredistributers for wire fences; and it consists in the novel features of construction and combination of parts, hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention, and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a rear view of one form of wire-distributing apparatus constructed according to myinvention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

The object of my invention is to provide a wire-distributing apparatus which will distribute the wires for a fence along the line of the proposed fence, delivering all the wires of which the fence is to be composed upon the ground or directly to the posts, so that they may be immediately secured to the same if desired. E

To this end the device consists of a supporting-frame consisting of longitudinal bars A A and cross-bars B B B. The frame is adapted to be transported from place to place in any preferred way. I prefer to construct the said frame, however, so that it can be placed upon and carried -byfan ordinary farm-Wagon or other vehicle, and I therefore prefer to locate the longitudinal bars A A at such a dis tance apart that they will engage the side walls of the wagon-box and permit the crossbars B B B to rest upon the tops of the said side walls.

Upon one or two or more of the cross-bars B, or upon separate bars provided expressly for the purpose, are secured a series of spindles C C for the spools of wire. In the drawings I have shown two cross-bars B B of the frame provided with spindles C, and each bar may have as many spindles as desired.

In order to prevent the wires from becoming tangled, the rear spool-supporting bar is provided lwith as many wire-guides D as there are spindles on the forward bar secured intermediate the spindles of the rear bar. These guides D consist of vertically-disposed standards having 'vertical slots d open at the top of the standard, as shown, for the reception of a single wire. The wire from each of the front spools is thus kept from entanglement with the other wires as it moves rearwardly, and the Vertical slot allows the wire to rise and fall, according as the coils of the spool being unwound are near the top or bottom of the spool. By having the slots open at the top the wire can be quickly and easily placed in engagement with or removed from the guide. The guides D will extend to a height greater than that of the spools, so that the wires will not become accidentally disengaged from said guides.

.In order to prevent any slack of the wires, which might cause entanglement, I provide each spool with a tension device of any usual or ordinary form, as indicated in the drawings at E. I also provide a delivery guide or device for delivering all the wires from the dierent spools, which consists of a frame F, provided with a horizontal roller f and a vertically-disposed roller f adjacent to either end of the horizontal roller. This deliveryguide I preferably secure on a supplementalv arm H, secured to a horizontal bar G, supported by two inclined arms g g, extending rearwardly and upwardly from the main frame A of the device. When it is desired to deliver the wire upon the ground or to the posts after the posts areinserted in the ground, it is desirable to deliver the wires at a`considerable distance to one side of the frame and wagon, and in such case the supplemental bar H is secured to the bar C, preferably by a pivot-bolt h, so that the delivery-guide is at a considerable distance from the side of the frame or wagon. The pivot-bolt h will pass through the bar H at some distance from its inner end, and the inner end of the bar will be detachably secured by the hook-bolt h or equivalent device, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2,

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`the hooked end of said bolt cngaging the bar l-l and holding its inner end by frictional contact only. The Wires from the spools and wire-guides are made to engage the deliveryguide and are deposited along the line of the fence at one side. It Will thus be seen that if by accident the supplemental arm H, carryingth delivery-guide, should strike agai t one of the posts or a tree or other obstruction the inner end will slip from under the head of the hook-bolt 7L and the supplemental arm will swing round on its pivot-bolt h, thus preventing breakage. The arm may be restored to its position as soon as the obstruction has been passed.

When it is desired to distribute the wires for a fence the posts for which have not been set, the delivery-guide may be adjusted to a position substantially in line with the center of the frame, as indicated in Fig. 2 in dotted lines, the bar G being Aprovided with additional bolt-holes for rendering this adjustment of the delivery-guide to be easily accomplished. The wagon will then be driven over the line of the proposed fence and the wires will be paid out directly behind the Wagon.

In the drawings I have shown the supportingbar G extending farther on one side of the frame than on the other, and the supplemental arm is shown as secured to this extended portion. I may, however, dispense with the eX- tended portion of the arm G, if it is found necessary, and secure' the supplemental arm Il adjacent to the inclined supports g g.

Any desired number of spools may be used, according to the number of Wires desired for the fence, and additional spools may be carried in the body of the wagon or upon the spindles, if any are not in use.

The operation of the device will be clearly understood from the foregoing description.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A wire-distributer provided with rows of spool-supports located in different transverse planes and a delivery-guide and open slotted wire-guides secured in position intermediate the spool-supports of the row adjacent to the delivery-guide, substantially as described.

'2. In a wire-distributer, the combination, with the spool-supports and open slotted guides extending above the tops of the spools, of the elevated delivery-guide, a support for the same, and adjustingr means for securing said 55 guide rigidly in relation to said support in d'ilerent positions, substantially as described.

3. In a wire-distributer, the combination, with the spool-supports, of the delivery-guide, a support for the same, and securing means for holding said guide normally in fixed relation to its support, but permitting it to yield when engaged by an obstacle, substantially as described.

4. In a wire-distributer, the combination, with the spool-supports, of a delivery-guide, a support for the same, said guide being pivotally secured to said support, and a retaining device adapted to hold said guide normally in fixed position with its support by frictional contact with a part connected with said guide, whereby said guide is permitted to disengage said retaining device and swing on said pivot when engaged by an obstacle, substantially as described.

5. In a wire-distributor, the combination, with the spool-supporting spindles, of the ele- Vat-ed supporting-bar, the supplemental arm pivotally connected thereto intermediate its ends, the hook-bolt frictionally engaging one end of said supplemental arm, and the delivery-guide secured to the other end of said arm, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY C. PRATT. Witnesses:

J. S. COE, JOHN RAINES, Jr. 

